Seasons
by Couver
Summary: Tunnel vision, hunting for tea leaves and ice sculptures that will be attacked if they start to melt. Weddings are not relaxing to say the least.


**AN** I am sooo sorry that Zutara week ended up being a week and then some. My computer has decided that it hates me and has only allowed me to use the internet now for a period that has lasted over two seconds. Anyways, enjoy loves.

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The weather was absolutely perfect considering the fact that they were nearing monsoon season. Greens and blues were accented with gold details and the guests all wore their traditional outfits to proudly represent their homes. The wedding ceremony had gone smoothly with a combination of Earth Kingdom and Northern Water Tribe customs and now it was finally time for the proper festivities.

Aang had of course shown up to show his support for the union and was busy entertaining everyone. He had given a speech about unity that had moved the wedding guests and had then reverted to his childish ways. Currently he was busy taking willing guests on air scooter rides while Appa was used as a slide; it wasn't just the children clambering around him either.

The newly married Ambassadors Karlak and Sun were surrounded by their families and friends and Zuko was watching all of this away from the group.

It had been an absolute nightmare. Learning about all of the wedding customs; integrating them so that they worked properly and didn't insult anyone; inviting everyone needed; smoothing over old qualms among guests; and of course preparing the area along with the countless other tasks. It had been meant countless sleepless nights; headaches that were dealt with by drinking lots of tea; and arguments brought along because of lack of sleep and over all crankiness. Zuko had had to watch Katara go through all of that for an event that lasted less than half a day.

The waterbender, and now wedding planner, hadn't stopped working and was now checking on the ice sculpture she had made and was trying to keep from melting. He couldn't help but notice that although she continued to wear her Water Tribe blue her clothes were generally always in the Fire Nation style, she claimed it was because they were better suited to the weather.

He spotted his Uncle Iroh serving tea, probably one of his new creations, and he heard Sokka and Suki before he saw them. This wasn't too surprising considering how loud Sokka could be but the sound had only increased since the birth of the twin terrors Kanna and Kori. Of course he meant that in the best way possible. Truthfully his opinion had changed quite a bit for the better once they started calling him Uncle Zu, currently he was trying to make them call him '_favorite_ Uncle'.

Zuko was given his chance to become their favorite uncle over Aang, it was ridiculous but it did feel slightly like a competition for him, when Sokka and Suki left the twins in his charge for a while. It didn't matter that he was technically hosting a party or that he was the Fire Lord; Kori had demanded a piggy back ride and was hanging off of his neck while Kanna played with his crown. They were truly Sokka's children with how demanding and loud they could be, and they were most definitely related to Katara with how easily they had him wrapped around their little fingers. It must be a Water Tribe women thing.

"Now, now little lady, now is not the time to be hanging off of your uncle's back. Now is the time to eat some cake."

Uncle Iroh playfully chided Kori as he pulled her off of Zuko's back and gently settled her on the ground. Pointing out the cake to the twins they quickly ran off leaving Zuko to tidy himself up.

"Thank you Uncle, I think Kanna was about to try and use my crown as a boomerang."

Zuko still watched carefully as the twins tried to pull themselves up onto the table to have better access to the cake. He was about to go over and help them to keep them from getting into _too_ much trouble when Katara and Suki swooped in and picked up a twin each.

"They are quite a handful, knowing their father though it makes sense."

Iroh watched as Kori tried to fling herself out of her mother's arms and into the cake; Kanna at least was distracted for a moment as she watched Katara make a small polar bear dog water figure run around. A few seconds later she was already bored and was joining her twin in attempting to jump into the cake.

"Now nephew, when are you going to give me grandnieces and nephews?"

His question snapped Zuko out of his thoughts and his ears turned a bright red with the rest of his face slowly following. Zuko's mouth gaped open, clearly lost for words, and that was something that didn't happen as often anymore.

"Uncle!"

His exclamation didn't make much of an effect on his uncle. Iroh simply rolled his eyes before staring at his nephew.

"I'm not getting any younger and it's not as if a marriage is too far away for the two of you."

Once again Zuko struggled for the right words but this time simply decided to remain quiet. A sigh did escape him however as he tried to distract himself by watching Sokka get scolded by Suki. Iroh placed a hand on his nephew's shoulder.

"Zuko, your relationship with Katara is so obvious that even I've stopped spying on the two of you. I am still betting on when you'll finally get married however; feel free to throw your old uncle a hint when the time comes by the way."

He was still unwilling to listen to his uncle, at this point he could guess as to what he was about to say next. The fact that his uncle had been spying on him and Katara wasn't exactly a surprise, they had spotted him a few times after all. Something that Iroh hadn't realized, or didn't care about, was that the 'I'm looking for –insert tea leaves/item needed to make tea here-'excuse had stopped working while they had been traveling.

"Uncle Iroh!"

Katara saved him yet again when walked up to the two.

"Lao has been looking for you; I think he mentioned something about a Honeylily patch."

Although her words didn't mean too much to Zuko or Katara the way Iroh's eyes lit up told them that it had something to do with tea, which really should have been expected. The conversation he had been having with Zuko was clearly pushed to the side as he spotted Lao in the crowd.

"Thank you Katara, now if the two of you will excuse me I really should catch up with Lao, it would be rude to make him wait of course."

The two nodded at his 'polite' ways and watched as he rushed off to talk with his fellow tea enthusiast.

"He was badgering you about it again wasn't he?"

She sat down on one of the chairs and he thoughtlessly dragged one closer to her before taking his own seat beside her.

"Of course, the only thing that can distract him is the preparations needed for opening another Jasmine Dragon in the city."

They had naturally leaned into each other as they watched the guests walk about and enjoy themselves. Her hand was in his and he was forming small circles on her hand with his thumb. The small action had become natural between them and hadn't gone by unnoticed by their friends either. When Iroh had caught Zuko absentmindedly rubbing small circles in his hand when he became stressed he had of course taken the opportunity to tease his nephew. Apparently he had told Toph and she didn't let the opportunity to tease him pass by either. Sometimes Iroh and Toph acted a bit too well as a team to properly embarrass Katara and Zuko.

"Well he'll have a wedding to plan soon enough which will keep him even busier."

Her words surprised him and he glanced down to look at her. Noticing his gaze on her she looked up at him and shrugged in response.

"I'm tired just from this wedding and I don't think we'll be given much of a choice anyways. He did practically take over Suki and Sokka's wedding planning and he would have done the same with this one if he hadn't already been busy."

It was true and had been quite amusing, and slightly scary, watching Iroh walk around with his books filled with wedding design ideas. He had taken it upon himself to fill in whatever role any of them needed; father, uncle, confidant, tea maker and now wedding planner to name a few. The only complaint that the group had about it was that he did sometimes get a bit _too_ excited or involved for their liking.

"It would please him to no end. I just can't seem to tell him that we're already engaged; last time I tried he gave me his longest tale to date about the seasons. Apparently we're expected to get married at the very least so that the things may continue to be in motion just as the seasons. I think; I was tired that evening."

Zuko was visibly trying to remember the latest speech his uncle had given him before giving up a few moments later, he would probably hear it again soon enough.

"Maybe, just to be safe, when we tell him we should act as if it just happened, or you could tell him that his encouragement helped in some way."

Katara offered as she watched the activities continue before focusing on the ice sculpture; the glare she gave it practically dared it to melt on her watch.

"That might help, although I am surprised that no one has figured out that we've been engaged for over a month. They're so busy trying to get us engaged they haven't realized that we already are."

The couple shrugged at the oddness of the family and friends. Tunnel vision was extremely strong among them. For now they wouldn't worry about it, for now they would enjoy the wedding, weather and company.


End file.
